Spermatogenesis in three Korean shrews and notes on their phylogenetic significance

한국산 땃쥐류 3종의 정장형성 및 이들의 계통 유연관계에 대한 소고찰

The cycle of the seminiferous epithelium and spermiogenesis in three species if the genus Crocidura, the lesser white-toothed shrew, C. suaveolens, the Japanese white-toothed shrew, C. dsinezumi and the big(=Ussuri) white-toothed shrew C. lasiura, in the breeding season were studied with light and electron microscopes. The three species examined are distinguished from each other in the morphology of the seminiferous epithelium and the spermiogenesis, suggesting that these morphological characteristics are useful for the identification of the species. C. dsinezumi and C. lasiura, however, share many characteristics which are not common in C. suaveolens, as follows: In both species, 1) the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium is composed of 10 stages against 11 stages in C. suaveloens; 2) the earliest intermediated type spermatogonia is observed at stage I against stage III in C. suaveolens; 3) the spermatids of step 5 is observed during the stages V-VI against stages V-VII in C. suaveolens; 4) the acrosomal extension occurs during the stages VIII-X against tages IX-XI in C. suaveolens; 5) the condensation of the nucleus occurs simultaneously whereas it begins from the middle and along the nuclear membrane in C. suaveolens; 6) the capitular length in acrosome phase is shorter(about 2/3 of the diameter of the proximal centriole) than in C. suaveolens(longer than the diameter of proximal centriole; 7) length of the post nuclear cap is shorter(less than a half of the nucleus) than in C. suaveolens(about a half on the nucleus). Hudging from the similarities in the spermatogenesis in C. dsinezumi and C. lasiura, the relationship between them seems to be close compared to those with C. suaveolens.